Wire clip for sinuous springs



y 1958 w. G. REGAN 2,843,194

WIRECLIP FOR SINUOUS SPRINGS Filed Sept. 20, 1956 INVEN TOR.

Wf] I {am 6 Regan BY ATTORNEY United States Patent WIRE CLIP FOR SINUOUS SPRINGS William G. Regan, Shrewsbury, Mass, assig'nor to Kay Manufacturing Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 20, 1956; Serial No; 610,972

9 Claims. (Cl. 155179) This invention relates to furniture spring clips and sinuous spring installations and particularly to wire clips to secure the end portions of sinuous springs of the seat or back frameof an article of furniture.

It is customary at present to secure the end portion of a sinuous spring to the wooden seat or back frame by means of a sheet metal clip foldedor bent around the spring end and nailed to the frame. Recently, it has been suggested that the clips be so shaped that power-driven staples may replace the nails heretofore used in order to reduce labor costs while retaining the strength and efficiency of the connection.

The present invention goes further in reducing the cost of the connection by providing a clip bent from a single length of wire and which is quickly and effectively secured to the frame by gun-driven staples and which adequately holds the spring end against displacement under stress. 7

The invention further contemplates the provision of a relatively inexpensive wire clip in which sound deadening lining material is omitted, especially when the wire is of such metal as brass, so that the rubbing noises do not occur on relative movement of the spring in the clip.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a wire clip adapted to be secured to the frame by a single staple and which can be easily bent around the spring end prior to the fastening thereof to the frame, the staple being driven into the frame to project thereabove, and the clip carried by the spring then engaged by the pre-set staple.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clip and spring installation, the staples for the upper loop of the clip being shown as only partly driven.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the clip wherein two staples are used, one for the upper loop and another for the lower loop.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of another modified form of the clip wherein a single pre-set staple is used to hold both loops, and the upper loop is shaped for closing manually upon the lower loop prior to the attachment thereof to the staple.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the clip of Fig. 3 showing the initial open position of the clip and the spring end inserted thereinto preparatory to closing the clip, and showing in dash-dot lines, the closed position of the loops of the clip.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the installation of the clip of Figs. 3 and 4, showing the head of the pre-set staple straddling a space inside of the loops.

Fig. 6 is a similar view thereof but with the clip moved toward the inside of the frame to pass inwardly extending parts of the clip underneath the staple head thereby to secure the clip and spring in place simultaneously.

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Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another modified from of the clip wherein the sides of the upper loop converge outwardly.

As above indicated, the clip may take various forms, but it is preculiarly adapted for fastening by gun-driven staples with a minimum expenditure of time, material and labor. Being of wire, the material used is disposed to the best advantage by shaping it to provide an upper and a lower loop, as well as omitting the sound-deadening lining necessary with'sheet metal steel clips operating with steel springs. As shown in Fig. 1, the clip is made of a single length of wire such as brass wire, to form the upper substantially rectangular loop 11 and the two similar but smaller lower loops 12 and 13, all of the loops being open at the inner ends thereof. The bend 14 joins the side 15 of the upper loop to the similar corresponding side 16' of the lower loop 12, while a similar bend 17 joins the other side 18 of the upper loop to the side 19 of the lower loop 13. The outer ends 20 and 21 of the respective lower loops 12' and 13 are preferably in alignment with each other, the clip being symmetrical about its longitudinal middle line. The adjacent free end portions 22 and 23 of the outer ends 20 and 21 are preferably spaced slightly apart transversely and are directed inwardly toward the inside of the frame 24. Said portions also diverge inwardly so that the staple 25 straddling said portions and having the legs thereof adjacent the ends 20 and 21, prevents movement of the lower loops in any direction.

The upper loop is initially substantially parallel to the lower loops to provide a space therebetweenfor the reception of the end portion 27 of the sinuous spring 28. After said end portion is arranged in place at the clip bends 14 and 17, staples as 29 and 30 for the upper loop are driven into the frame to straddle the outer end 31 at points adjacent the sides 15 and 18. As the staples enter the frame, the heads thereof engage and bend the upper loop downwardly toward the lower loops and on to the top surface of the frame to close the clip about the spring end. The usual bent terminal portion 32 of the spring end, prevents said end from working its way out of the bends 14 and 17.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the upper loop 35 is shaped into the form of an arc, making it possible to employ a single staple as 38 for said loop, as well as to grip the spring end 27 along a generally helical path. The bends 36 and 37 joining the upper loop to the lower loops, are thereby inclined toward each other or converge outwardly, or are twisted toward each other to give the desired wrapping effect, and preventing movement of the spring end within the bends and especially preventing shifting or twisting of said end in a horizontal plane out of its proper position in the clip.

In Figs. 3-6, the clip 40 has a substantially rectangular upper loop 41 which is generally coextensive with the lower loops 12 and 13. However, the clip is intended to be attached to the spring end by merely squeezing the loop 41 down on to the lower loops manually. As shown in Fig. 4, the upper loop is initially arranged in a plane at nearly right angles to the plane of the lower loops, this being the open position of the clip, to permit the spring end 27 to pass the upwardly concave indents 42 in the upper loop and to enter into the bends 43, 44, which join the corresponding inner ends of the respective loops. The lengths and diameters of the bends are such that when the clip is closed, said bends rather closely embrace the spring end 27, as shown by the dash-dot lines of Fig. 4, and in Figs. 5 and 6, said bends thereby underhanging the spring end and subtending: an angle of more than The result described is aided by the 3 quite sharp indents 42 at the junctions of the sides 39, 46 of the upper loop 41 with the bends.

As best seen in Fig. 3, to permit the clip to be secured to the frame 24 by 'means of a single pre-set staple 45 afterthe spring end portion 27 has been inserted'into the clip and the clip has been closed, the outer end 46a of the upper loop is provided with an inwardly reentrant portion 47 at approximately the middle of said end, thereby to arrange said portion above the divergent terminal portions 22, 23 of the lower loops. The reentrant portion 47 may take various shapes, but as shown, is substantially triangular, being joined to the remainder of the outer end 46a of the upper loop by suitable bends as 48, 49. The upright legs 50, 51 of the staple 45 are first driven into the frame 24 with the head 52 of the staple projecting above the top of .the frame a distance about equal to or slightly less than the thickness of the clip wire, or sufiiciently to permit-the free end portions 22, 23 of the lower loop and the reentrant portion 47 of the upper loop to be forced thereunder. There is usually suflicient resilience in the various bends of the clip to permit said free end portions to be forced together or toward each other enough to pass between the staple legs and under the projecting head of the staple, at the same time that the reentrant porion 47 is forced under the staple head from the position shown in Fig. to that of Figs. 3 and 6. ln the thus secured position of the clip, the bend 48 is above the bend at the junction of the parts and 22 of the lower loop, and the bend 49 is similarly above the bend at the junction of the parts 21 and 23 of the lower loop 13, so that the staple legs are located at said bends and hold the clip against movement in any direction.

To combine most of the advantages of the clips of- Figs. 1, 2and 3 in one clip 55 as shown in Fig. 7, the

end thereof, a pair of lower loops each open at the inner end thereof and each terminating at the outer end thereof in an inwardly extending free end portion arranged at approximately the mid-portion of the upper loop, and a bend joining the inner end of each of the lower loops to the inner end of the upper loop.

2. The clip of claim 1, the free end portions of the lower loops being slightly spaced apart transversely and diverging inwardly.

3. The clip of claim 1, each of the bends being inclined toward the other bend in an outward direction.

4. The clip of claim 1, there being an indent in one of the loops at the junction of said one of the loops with each of the bends.

5. The clip of claim 4, each of the bends being inclined outwardly and toward the other bend.

6. A clip of a single length of wire for a sinuous spring, said clip having an upper loop and a lower loop, and having a pair of bends, each of the bends joining corresponding inner ends of the upper and lower loops, there being inwardly directed adjacent free end portions on the clip adapted to be stapled together, said portions being transversely spaced apart a distance less than the Width of either loop.

7. The clip of claim 6, the upper part of each of the bends being twisted toward the other bend and thereby narrowing the outer' part of the upper loop.

8. In a furniture spring installation, a frame, a sinuous spring, a one-piece wire clip securing one end of the spring to the frame, and a staple straddling a portion of the clip and entering the frame,"the clip having a pair of transversely spaced apart bends embracing the end portion of the spring and having an upper loop extendsides 56, 57 of the upper loop 53 are shaped to converge outwardly of the frame, thereby to provide helical or twisted bends 59, 60 similar to the bends 36, 37 of Fig. 2,

at the junction of the lower loops with the upper loop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS King Oct. 5, 1915 Fleet Feb. 28, 1939 

